A moment of hesitation, and Bologue would end up like those demons, hacked into bloody meat chunks.
The battle eased slightly. Bologue and the dire wolf exchanged glances. The dire wolf didn't rush to attack but glanced at the folding knife lodged in its side, wearing a thoughtful expression. Meanwhile, Bologue tightened his grip on the folding knife, eager to strike.
Without warning, Bologue stopped fleeing and charged towards the dire wolf, breaking free from the narrow corridor as the clanging of steel rang out once more in the main hall.
With every clash, blades shattered, and Bologue's body gained new wounds, yet under his bizarre self-healing abilities, blood flowed back, flesh reformed, maintaining an eerie equilibrium.
Despite being heavily injured, each time, Bologue avoided fatal blows and managed to gain enough time from the dire wolf to heal his body.
More importantly, demon corpses were scattered throughout the main hall, slain by the dire wolf. In Bologue's view, azure glows emerged from the corpses, flooding into his body, bringing an overwhelming sense of fulfillment and seemingly strengthening his power.
The wind howled past, as dense blades twisted into a pitch-black scythe, grazing above Bologue's head. He quickly ducked, driving the folding knife into the dire wolf's left shoulder, embedding it deep so that the sharp blade protruded from its back.
Bologue had no time for joy as another gust of wind arose and a deadly blade struck Bologue, sending him flying harshly into the wall, leaving a bloody mark. He crumbled to the ground, his arm twisted, the blow had shattered his bones.
The dire wolf didn't pursue; its body was covered with scars and dents left by the folding knife, several knives broke within it, and these internal fractures interfered with its movements.
It realized something, a low voice sounded.
"You knew how this would end from the start, didn't you?"
"Yes, 'Find me.' The objective of the test isn't to defeat you, but to find you, to find the body that should exist within this shell."
Bologue coughed blood, upon guessing it was a test, he understood that the dire wolf was merely an empty shell. Excluding the possibility of a ghost, someone must be manipulating it. As long as he finds that manipulator, Bologue wins.
"Do you know where I am?"
"All doors and windows in this building are sealed, except my room." Bologue smiled, "I guess you're leaning on my sofa, listening to my favorite record."
Noticeably, the dire wolf's shimmering light stalled for a few seconds, a low, suppressed laugh echoed.
"Why haven't you come to find me then? You've had many chances."
Bologue could easily avoid the dire wolf and seek his true self rather than endlessly tangling with this shell. For a long moment, Bologue was silent, then responded.
Fractured bones began to align, strong muscles twisted the arm, reforming it. Bologue slowly stood up against the wall, azure light flashed in his eyes.
"The so-called test is essentially the process of assessing a person's value, isn't it? Determine if his value is high enough for you to willingly take a risk."
Bologue spoke to himself.
He was well aware of the fearsome identity of being a debtor. Many debtors were further tempted by devils to patch their souls, offering more souls and becoming complete puppets of the devil. Bologue suspected "those people" were worried about this aspect too; bringing a devil's pawn in always seemed a colossal problem.
Bologue still had much to accomplish. He couldn't be locked back in the black prison, and to step into the extraordinary world, he needed their approval.
He had nothing, and "those who wield extraordinary power" were not folks one could satisfy with mere empty words, so what he needed was action alone.
To prove his value through action and thus knock on the door to the unknown world.
"Slaying demons is the pass mark for this test. Under your hunt, figuring out the reason for everything and finding you counts as passing with full marks?" Bologue speculated, "But that's not enough."
The dire wolf repeated Bologue's words, not quite understanding his meaning.
Bologue just smiled. Yes, nothing needed to be said; what was needed now was action, and only action.
He leaped from the corner, incredibly fast, like a meteor, running with large strides, the blood-soaked ground slippery. Bologue skidded several times, his steps awkward, yet he resembled a hound ducking low for a rush.
Reaching out, he snatched up a demon's corpse along the way, hoisting it onto his shoulder like a shield.
His identity was a prisoner, a debtor yearning for freedom. Bologue had to demonstrate his value, ensuring they wouldn't hesitate. He needed to be so "valuable" that they couldn't refuse.
The dire wolf raised its hands, sharp blades sliding out from the grooves in its fingertips, the shrill buzzing persisted.
Using a tried-and-true tactic, just before closing in on the dire wolf, Bologue hurled the demon corpse forcefully at the dire wolf, attempting to conceal his actions with it.
The dire wolf hesitated for a second, though full of dominance and intimidation, after hearing Bologue's narrative, an inexplicable unease stirred within.
The familiar move played out before its eyes, yet such a trick clearly worked only once, by some stroke of luck, it stepped back.
Since the battle began, it was the first time it retreated.
Mysterious blue light pulsed like breathing, searching for Bologue's figure, the iron clang covering any footsteps. It could only rely on its sight to capture Bologue's trace.
It couldn't find him; it couldn't locate Bologue's silhouette. The next moment, the demon corpse flying in front of it exploded with a "boom".
The folding knife shredded the demon corpse, Bologue this time went straight in, amidst the scalding blood and scattered bones, a vicious face gleamed with joy, bright teal light shone in his eyes.
True and false, this time Bologue didn't launch an attack from the corner but faced head-on with a direct blade.
At this moment, the dire wolf understood Bologue's intention; this guy never aimed for just smoothly passing the test; he aimed to surpass it, showcasing absolute value, making them need Bologue.
This was an absurd interview; Bologue aimed to join a killer company, so what proves one's value better than slaying the interviewer?
Accompanied by hysterical laughter, the blade light pierced above.